PRESCOTT – January’s meeting of the Nevada County Quorum Court saw the court walk back the trash fee from $120 a year to $100 a year.
Justice of the Peace Bob Cumming ran through figures showing the amount of work done by the Solid Waste Department. One route, he said, makes 971 stops while the other makes 920 for a total of 1,891. However, he pointed out, 20 stops are for deer camps and 19 are for churches, dropping the figure to 1,852 for the purposes of the trash collection fee. He said there are maybe 10 businesses in the county that can be taken off the list as well, making it 1,842.
In dealing with the municipalities in the county, Emmet and Prescott don’t pay the county for trash pickup as they provide it for their citizens. Other communities reimburse the county through a one-cent sales tax. These figures, he said, come from the Upper Southwest Solid Waste Management Agency in Nashville, the landfill where Nevada County takes its household trash.
Cummings reminded the court, and audience, Upper Southwest increased its tipping fees to $150 per load this year and will raise the fees another $50 next year. Nevada County, he continued, has a class IV landfill box that goes to Nashville weekly, mostly filled with mattresses. However, the refuse in this box can be put in the county’s Class IV landfill legally, which will save $4,800 a year.
After looking at the numbers, he said, he figured the county can “squeak” by with a $75 a year trash pickup fee, but $100 would make it easier and would cover the planned tipping fee increases.
The choices, he reminded everyone, are to charge to pick up trash or quit picking it up at all.
JP Pat Grimes said there was no discussion when the City of Prescott started charging to pick up trash, it just showed up on the utility bill. She said fuel costs will go up and suggested charging businesses for picking up their trash as well.
Initially, businesses in the county, deer camps and churches were all excluded under the proposed fee.
Mary Godwin, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, pointed out there are people who more or less live at their deer camps, and some homeowners use trash pickup less than those at deer camps.
The talk went round and round about who should and shouldn’t pay and why. JP Herbert Coleman eventually pointed out the court couldn’t make an ordinance that would fit everyone.
Ricky Reyenga, with the Nevada County Collectors Office, told the court according to those getting homestead credits there are 1,482 homes in the county that are livable. He said a route sheet would need to be printed and driven to see where trash is and isn’t being picked up. He reminded the court there are also areas where several families live on one parcel.
Jamie Hillery, executive director of the Prescott-Nevada County Chamber of Commerce, said small businesses in the county are struggling and she’d hate to see any close because of something like this. She pointed out restaurants are raising their prices to stay open.
Arval Mason, former JP, said the court needs to look at other areas to tighten its belt before imposing fees. He pointed out when he was on the court the JPs didn’t get bonuses.
Nevada County Judge Mark Glass said there’s nowhere else for the county to tighten its belt. He said he has four less employees in the Road and Bridge Department than his predecessor.
Mason said he was on the initial landfill committee, and the Solid Waste Department had plenty of money until it was used to pay other bills. Cummings interjected saying Hempstead County employees make twice what they get in Nevada County. Mason retaliated saying Hempstead County employees don’t get bonuses and the JPs there get $200 a month and don’t talk about bonuses.
In the end, the court voted to charge $100 a year for trash pickup, but added the caveat this issue will be revisited again.